Messages

If i had to pick just three from The Police:

🥇 Every Breath You Take – iconic, haunting and ridiculously well written.

🥈 Roxanne – raw, energetic and probably their most distinctive song.

🥉 Message in a Bottle – brilliant guitar riff and that huge, atmospheric chorus.

Just missing out: Walking on the Moon, Don't Stand So Close to Me, King of Pain and So Lonely.

More of a challenge game than a championship game last night. Lavey will be about come the end of the championship but at what point do they switch the keeper, the only real weak spot last night

Regan should be back before next day out

Was he not back up for county this year? Strange that he's not starting.

Bit of an injury

Newbridge come up with key ball and scores, just things teams of that caliber do. Kilrea done well enough defensively in patches but Newbridge would be happy enough with them wild 2s kielt and others were taking on

you think they be happy enough?
You don't think they would be worried that a team or higher quality kick 2 or 3 of them an that changes everything?
I've a feeling Brady and Hetherington would be highlighting the number of shots that got off from edge of 2 point arc.

Hard to even remember how well they were contested but aye they definitely got them away alright. Newbridge were able to curtail McGuigan and McGonagle from range last year so I do think they can mix up the way they defend. Dont think they will be getting Callum McGrogan back anytime soon but S Young and a couple others seem close enough

I think they will be happy enough. Dirty diesel blew out and management have a stick to bate them with for the next round. Few of those others back for the next round to strengthen them again

Sorry your right Marys just need to win- however if they win by 7 then PG1 are out I think.

Stranger things have happened LOL , looking forward to how it pans out , it is great having such a competitive group

I fancy Mary's to do a number on PG1 calling it early

Draw tonight to kick start the senior hurling, big call from jonnyd! Upset on the cards this weekend?? Look no further than tomorrow at high town. Cushendall seriously depleted, talk of up to 6 starting players missing, any team would struggle with those numbers and even though st Enda's are missing their star man o Connor, still think there's an upset available on a tight pitch. Can't see it being Glenariffe, too young, too naive and still hurl like a division two team with some moments of decent play. Ballycastle are going to struggle in group, a lot of injuries, peaked for the league when all around them were missing county men, poor after the split, despite a couple of wins. Loughgiel the team to fear this year.

Strange encounter that lacked any real championship edge, with the quality of shooting leaving plenty to be desired from both camps. Particularly disappointing when you consider the age-old rivalry and the battles these two have had down through the years.

It's probably a symptom of championships across the board since the introduction of the group stages. There just doesn't seem to be the same intensity or urgency in some of these early games.

As for the rest of the group, it won't matter how many Cushendall are missing, they'll win by 10+. They could probably line out their U21 team and still get over the line.

Dunloy should push Glenariffe aside without too much fuss.

Loughgiel are now clear favourites for their group based on last night's performance from both sides.

Wd agree - strange in many ways - unfortunately Mark definitely didn't have his best outing in the middle

Yeah, I like Mark as a ref but thought he was very poor last night. Rossa could feel aggrieved with a lot of the decisions.

Facile win for the Dall as predicted. In all honesty, we should probably forgo the formalities at this stage and just have our semi-finalsCushendall v Dunloy and Loughgiel v Rossa or St John's. 😂

I'm loathe to criticise referees on a forum, but last night was definitely one of Mark's lesser performances. Take that as constructive criticism it happens.

The Intermediate Championship is moving on without too much fuss either. Cushendun look the early front runners, with Glenarm and Creggan probably the next two in line.

St Galls have a tough task tomorrow in the Glens, but I'll back them to come through a tight encounter. Great to see some of their great journey men involved again that experience could prove invaluable when it gets tight.

Draw tonight to kick start the senior hurling, big call from jonnyd! Upset on the cards this weekend?? Look no further than tomorrow at high town. Cushendall seriously depleted, talk of up to 6 starting players missing, any team would struggle with those numbers and even though st Enda's are missing their star man o Connor, still think there's an upset available on a tight pitch. Can't see it being Glenariffe, too young, too naive and still hurl like a division two team with some moments of decent play. Ballycastle are going to struggle in group, a lot of injuries, peaked for the league when all around them were missing county men, poor after the split, despite a couple of wins. Loughgiel the team to fear this year.

Strange encounter that lacked any real championship edge, with the quality of shooting leaving plenty to be desired from both camps. Particularly disappointing when you consider the age-old rivalry and the battles these two have had down through the years.

It's probably a symptom of championships across the board since the introduction of the group stages. There just doesn't seem to be the same intensity or urgency in some of these early games.

As for the rest of the group, it won't matter how many Cushendall are missing, they'll win by 10+. They could probably line out their U21 team and still get over the line.

Dunloy should push Glenariffe aside without too much fuss.

Loughgiel are now clear favourites for their group based on last night's performance from both sides.

Just in from the game in Toome.

Cargin were brilliant at times. They isolated Mick McCann well in the full-forward line and weren't shy about kicking it in early. Thought McCann at 6 was outstanding.

Brigids were really disappointing. Looked like a team of individuals at times. Some of their decision making was awful, particularly their insistence on forcing 2 point shots that were never really on.
Cargin look hungry, but I'd still see holes there that other teams can pick at, which will give the rest plenty of hope.

A really entertaining championship game at Dunsilly yesterday and one that probably deserved a bigger crowd.

Naomh Comhghall couldn't have asked for a better start. They played with serious intensity, attacked at pace and carried a real threat every time they went forward. Torin Hodkinson was outstanding from placed balls and open play, while Ruairi Griffin's ability to break lines and drive at the St. Enda's defence caused problems throughout.

To St. Enda's credit, they never panicked. Once they got a grip around the middle third and improved their work on Comhghall's kick-outs, the momentum swung. Stephen O'Connor showed exactly why he's such an important player, while Sean Neilan's goal came at a massive time and gave them real control heading into half-time.

The second half was end-to-end. Every time St. Enda's looked like stretching away, Comhghall found another response. They got themselves back level with six minutes to play and genuinely looked capable of pulling off a shock.

In the end, championship experience told. St. Enda's finished the stronger and took their chances when it mattered most, but the four-point margin probably flatters them. Comhghall can take huge encouragement from that display and, if they bring that level again, they'll cause plenty of teams problems in this group.

No outsiders interesting in the job?

Times have changed and Antrim have dropped well down the pecking order.

It's interesting that there doesn't seem to have been much interest from outside the county. Maybe that's just a reflection of where Antrim hurling is at the minute.

That said, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. A home grown manager who understands the county, the clubs, the players and the challenges we face could be exactly what's needed.

For too long we've looked elsewhere for answers. Maybe now is the time to back one of our own, give them proper support, patience and the resources to build something over a number of years rather than expecting overnight success.

New manager deserves the backing of everyone involved. If we're serious about moving Antrim back up the pecking order, it'll take more than just changing the name on the manager's office door.

Boyle sports (don't gamble kids)

Cargin 5/2
Dunloy 3/1
Creggan 4/1
Portglenone 9/2
St Brigids 9/2
Aghagallon 8/1
Lamh Dhearg 11/1
St Galls 12/1
O Donovan Rossa 14/1
St Johns 33/1
All Saints 40/1
Tir Na Nog 66/1
Sarsfields 100/1
Con Magees Glenravel 100/1
Moneyglass 150/1
St Pauls 150/1

As they always say, bookies are rarely wrong
Only one they struggled with was st galls/rossa which i think is a more and 2 point betting swing
Would have SG above Ld imo

Lookoning at league form... and yes it is only one piece of the puzzle. Championship is a different animal altogether.

Creggan at 4/1 will catch plenty of eyes based on how they've been going, Portglenone at 9/2 looks about right to me rather than value,they'll need to prove they can string big championship performances together.

The one that stands out as a bit of value is St Gall's at 12/1. If they get a favourable draw and keep everyone fit, they're capable of making a serious run. At those odds, they're probably the best each-way option on the board.

Who are going to win over the next 5 years ?

Cork
"Do Cork have 10 other players who were better than the ones who were part of the match day squad on Saturday? No. Five? Probably not.The problem for Cork now is that their best players have suffered so many big-game defeats at this stage that you wonder now if those wounds will ever heal. Robert Downey, for example, has lost All-Ireland finals at minor and under-20 level as well as three senior finals."

Kilkenny
"They just don't have the players right now," Keating says of Kilkenny. "When you look at the underage over the last few years, where are the standout players? They haven't been doing it at underage."
Kilkenny last won an All-Ireland minor title in 2014. They were under-20 champions in 2022 but that is their only All-Ireland triumph at that grade in the last 17 years."

Limerick
"The worrying part for Limerick is that, at age-grade level, their results have fallen off a cliff. Since they reached the 2022 under-20 All-Ireland final, they have played 15 games in that grade and won just three of them. This year, they have lost their first three games in the Munster round robin and look destined to finish bottom of the group".
 

Tipp, Galway and Clare have decent underage

That's one way of looking at it, but underage success doesn't always translate into senior All-Irelands. Plenty of counties have won minor and U20 titles without producing dominant senior teams, while others have built great senior sides from relatively modest underage records.

Cork still have one of the strongest senior panels in the country despite the heartbreak, and Limerick have shown over the last decade that exceptional teams can emerge even without constant underage dominance. Kilkenny are never wise to write off either,they've made a habit of outperforming what people think their player pool should allow.

Tipp, Galway and Clare all have promising underage talent, but turning that into a senior team capable of winning Liam MacCarthy is a completely different challenge. The next five years will probably be decided as much by coaching, player development and keeping squads together as by underage medals.

[As for Casement, it was really shoddily handled by a lot of people, some have rode off into the sunset and a certain Ryan from the Ulster council and a curly haired SF MLA need to take a lot of the blame for trying to push through a totally over the top stadium in an area it was totally unsuitable for.]

The GAA has a centralised command structure even moreso now since the debacle of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and with that every single deed of every single GAA property resides with Croke Park.

You can't do shit to your property if you're taking out loans without CP or Ulster Council approval, especially government grants.

Even the trustees for each club will include the county secretary and the provincial secretary.

As for Casement, it was really shoddily handled by a lot of people, some have rode off into the sunset and a certain Ryan from the Ulster council and a curly haired SF MLA need to take a lot of the blame for trying to push through a totally over the top stadium in an area it was totally unsuitable for.
The residents have probably did everyone a favour as their objections and delays ended up with the H&S issue coming to light.
Deciding to try and use a pathway down to the Kennedy way roundabout as one of the main routes out of the stadium was hardly a flyer.
We can blame unionist intransigence all we like and that didn't help get those listed above out of this mess of their own making but it's not the main reason the place is still a building site almost 20 years later.

" When the Axe came into the woods, many of the trees said, At least he's one of Us" , well said JC the list would be long and distinguished.

This is the part of the whole saga that doesn't get nearly enough attention.

Forget the politics and the planning for a minute. How does a county end up transferring control of its most valuable asset without a proper, transparent debate among the clubs? For something as significant as Casement, every club in Antrim should have known exactly what was being transferred, what guarantees were being secured in return, and what protections existed if the project stalled.

Instead, Antrim effectively gave away its biggest bargaining chip and became dependent on others delivering on promises. That's not hindsight—that's basic governance.

The biggest question remains unanswered: what legally binding safeguards did Antrim receive in exchange? If the answer is "very few", then it was one of the poorest governance decisions in the county's history.

Casement should still be Antrim's county ground. Partnership with Ulster GAA is one thing; surrendering control without robust protections is another altogether.

Any updates on the search for the new Antrim senior hurling manager? Has there been any movement or are interviews still ongoing?

I still think one of the biggest mistakes in this whole saga gets overlooked.

Ulster Council deserve plenty of criticism for how the project was managed once they took control, but Antrim County Board also have to accept responsibility for handing over Casement so readily and effectively giving up control of their own county ground without enough safeguards.

Closing the stadium before planning was secure and before there were firm guarantees on timelines, funding and delivery was a huge gamble. Once the keys were handed over, Antrim were largely passengers while decisions affecting their home were being made elsewhere.

Every major project carries risk, but you don't surrender your principal asset without legally robust assurances on what happens if delays, planning issues or funding problems arise. Instead, Antrim ended up homeless for years with no meaningful leverage.

The lesson isn't just about poor project management, it's about governance. County boards should never again hand over ownership or control of their county ground without watertight guarantees on delivery, accountability and contingency plans. Unfortunately, Antrim have paid the price for that.